Saturday, July 20, 2013

Followers—who call themselves "Oathkeepers" —are gearing up to recruit more Idahoans to their survivalist strategy during next weekend's Northwest Patriot and Preparedness Rally, a four-day event scheduled for Bayview's Farragut State Park (30 miles north of Coeur d'Alene), beginning Friday, July 26.

"We want to make sure that in the event of disaster, the First, Second, Fourth and 10th amendments remain intact." event organizer John Mackey told the Press. "Don't get me wrong, it's not like we are downplaying other amendments, but these are the ones that are most subject to discussion in law making."

Mackey said the event includes an indoctrination of a four-part strategy: "being prepared, security, re-building the free market system and politics."

"We are closely associated with the Tea Party, so we get some of that," Mackey said. "But if you go in and sit down and talk to people, you'll find that most of them are just concerned about the future of our country."